


Endless Love To Give: Kailex Oneshots

by Azymondias05



Category: The Medoran Chronicles - Lynette Noni
Genre: Akarnae Academy, Apprenticeships, Book 1: Akarnae, Book 2: Raelia, Book 3: Draekora, Book 4: Graevale, Book 5: Vardaesia, Declarations Of Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Gentle Kissing, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Jealousy, Just some cute wholesome oneshots, Kaiden being a softy, Kaiden blushing, Laughter, M/M, My writing's average but compared to other fics in this fandom it's the fucking holy grail, Neck Kissing, One Shot Collection, Post-Canon, Training, Tumblr Prompt, enjoy, flustered alex, medora, this fandom needs more fics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 21:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28873473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azymondias05/pseuds/Azymondias05
Summary: A bunch of wholesome Kailex oneshots. Fun, Cute, Adorable. What more could you ask for?This fandom is way too small and needs more fics, so I've taken it upon myself to deliver. Most chapters are based on prompts my friend requested.Feel free to send me prompts or come say hi on Tumblr @Azymondias05
Relationships: Barnold "Bear" Ronnigan/Declan Stirling, Delucia Cavelle/Jordan Sparker, Kaiden James/Alexandra Jennings
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	1. "Are you jealous?"

**Author's Note:**

> Kailex fluff. That's all I have to say. Enjoy!

Kaiden James was not the type of guy who got jealous. At least, he didn’t consider himself one. But at this particular moment, he wasn’t so sure. This uneasy feeling developing in the pit of his stomach felt, quite frankly, ridiculous; because realistically, he shouldn’t be jealous. Yet here he was feeling like a third wheel while his girlfriend was showered with kisses.

More specifically, Shadow Wolf kisses.

Almost all week, Soraya had stolen Alex from him. “She’s going through a clingy phase,” Alex had justified. “Growing and needing more love and attention.”

Kaiden had been fine with that; he honestly had. But when it got to the fourteen-day mark of barely seeing his girlfriend at all, he’d finally managed to catch her and ask if she wanted to spend some time with him.

Of course, she’d agreed, and he’d been more relieved than he cared to admit. They’d decided to keep it simple, a nice picnic down by Lake Fee. And it was nice—really, really nice. Everything had been going great… Until a certain pitch-black and _extremely_ boisterous wolf had shown up. 

So now Kaiden was watching Alex and Soraya playing something they’d dubbed ‘ _Shadow Fetch._ ’ Basically, Alex would use her Meyarin abilities to throw a rubber disc as far as she could. Soraya’s goal was to Shadow Walk, catch it and bring it back, all without hitting the ground. Which she pulled off flawlessly every time. And every time, Kaiden’s gut would churn uncomfortably as Alex cooed pretty praises and peppered the pup in pecks, lips roaming from the wolf’s nose, and all over her face, as her hands rested either side of her snout. Soraya seemed to be enjoying the attention very much, returning the kisses with her own tongue.

He was so lost in these ridiculous thoughts that he didn’t even notice when Soraya tired and laid down in the shade to rest— _finally—_ and his girlfriend came to sit beside him.

“Why are you pouting?” She asked, cocking her head to the side. The movement caused her hair to tumble over one shoulder.

He shook his head, confused. “I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. Your brows are pinched, and your bottom lip is sticking out—making it extremely hard not to kiss you, might I add.” She insisted. Her thumb ran up the bridge of his nose where his brows were, in fact, pinched together—effectively smoothing them out again. He sighed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“I call _bullshit!_ ” Alex exclaimed dramatically, flopping onto her back, effectively resting her head in his lap. “What’s wrong, Kaid?”

Kaiden sighed again, running a frustrated hand through his hair, tugging on the roots lightly. This was so stupid. So, _so_ stupid. “Fourteen days,” he sighed quietly.

“What?” It was Alex’s turn to look confused, turning her head in his lap to meet his gaze.

“Fourteen days,” he said louder. “That’s how long it’s been since we’ve spent any time together.”

“Oh,” her lips pursed. “You’ve been counting?”

“Yeah, I have, Alex, and I’ve missed you. A lot.”

Alex sat up again, facing her boyfriend and resting her hand on his thigh. She ran her opposite hand along his hairline, tucking a few stray strands behind his ears. “You could’ve asked. I love spending time with you, babe, you know that.”

“I could never manage to catch you. You were always out with _Soraya._ It’s always _Soraya this_ , _Soraya that_. She always comes first. And believe me, Alex, I was trying to be patient, but—”

“Oh. My. God.” Alex said slowly. Kaiden began to panic, worrying he’d offended her. Apologies were on the tip of his tongue as she burst out laughing. _Laughing_ . Her whole body doubled over as she chuckled. Grasping for composure, she sat up again and wiped the tears—tears of _mirth_ —from her eyes.

“What…?” Kaiden faltered.

“Are you jealous,” she drawled, “Of my wolf?” When his mouth opened and shut like a goldfish, another fit of giggles overtook her.

This snapped him out of his stupor. “I—what? No!” He stuttered. His best efforts to deny her accusation didn’t sound convincing at all, even to himself.

Alex paused, eyes widening before a grin spread across her gorgeous features. “Quick, somebody grab a camera! We need to capture this moment in history forever!” Kaiden was beyond bewildered as she continued. “I, Alexandra Rose Jennings, have officially made Kaiden James _blush!”_

He noticed then that his cheeks indeed felt hotter than usual, and they seemed to heat more at the thought. “The tables have turned!” She jested.

She was smiling at him and it was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen. The sun was setting behind her, giving the luscious chocolate brown waves atop her head a golden sheen. It was how he imagined the glow of the _Vaeliana_ bond—that her skin apparently took—would look if he had the eyesight to see it. Alex’s complexion resembled, in all honestly, a Goddess. One that he would worship for as long as he lived. Kaiden gazed into her beautiful brown eyes that were crinkled around the edges in the midst of her laughter and couldn’t stop himself from leaning forward and capturing her lips with his.

The kiss was soft and sweet and one of Alex’s delicate hands came to rest against his cheek. Kaiden pulled back to study her features again. Her full lips were parted slightly; it was adorable. His fingers reached up to her face and traced down her jaw and Alex smiled softly.

“I love you,” she whispered as she leaned forward and kissed him again. Their kiss was more passionate this time around, with parted lips and dancing tongues. Kaiden, with his hands settling on Alex’s hips, pulled her into his lap. Hands roved, teeth clashed, and fingers tangled in hair before they finally broke apart to breathe.

They both startled as a bark sounded from beside them. A very lively Soraya was watching them, tongue hanging out of her mouth. Alex laughed breathlessly, her head coming to rest in the crook of Kaiden’s neck.

“Looks like my _other_ baby’s jealous,” She joked, planting one, two, three quick kisses on Kaiden’s lips before extracting herself from his lap. He pouted. “Don’t tempt me, Kaid. It’s almost dinner, anyway, so I’m gonna take her on one last run and meet you in the dining hall.”

It must’ve been obvious he was about to protest because she amended. “I promise we will spend all of Free Time together. Just the two of us— _Alone_. Until then, I’ll see you at dinner.”

Kaiden sighed, relenting. “Okay. See you then, babe.”

She smiled brightly and turned on her heel. Soraya began to follow, but not before turning her head to meet Kaiden’s eyes. He could’ve sworn the wolf’s lips curved into a smile. Triumphant and smug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to send me prompts on Tumblr @Azymondias05


	2. "Is that blood?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr prompt: “Is that blood?” “Yes, but that doesn’t matter right now, what does matter is—” “You are literally bleeding.”
> 
> Just some good ol' hurt/comfort <3 Oh, and Kaiden being a fussy mother hen. Gotta love our golden boi ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a few rewrites but I think I'm happy with how this turned out. Enjoy!

“Kaiden!” Alex called, panting. 

Combat had been rough, and Alex had just about had enough. First of all, at the beginning of class, Karter had announced they were doing drills for the first 30 minutes of the lesson, and Alex was told explicitly that she was not to use her increased strength and endurance. So, by the end of that torture session, her muscles were beginning to burn. Secondly, they had to spar with a partner, and of course, Alex got Declan. On any other occasion, she would’ve been pleased with that pairing—she would take any opportunity to hand him his ass—but for the past week, Declan had been _maddening._

He’d find the most ridiculous and minute things to argue with Alex about, their bickering lasting until someone broke them up—usually Kaiden. So, yes, after sword-to-sword combat with that tool, she was fed up, especially because it ended with another disagreement between them. And she was going to settle it.

“Kaiden,” she said again, making her way over to him, adrenaline still fresh and pumping heavily in her veins. He turned, and when he saw the expression on Alex’s face, his own became entirely amused. That ~~gorgeous~~ _infuriating_ smirk of his simultaneously turning her on and frustrating her more.

As she got closer, though, and his eyes dropped to her abdomen, his brow furrowed. “Is that blood?”

She followed his gaze to see her shirt on the right side of her stomach soaked in a fair amount of the scarlet substance. But she didn’t—when did that even happen? Alex brushed it off, still focused on settling her predicament. She was right. Declan was wrong. She met Kaiden’s gaze again. “Yes, but that doesn’t matter right now, Kaid,” she insisted. “What does matter is—”

“Alex, you are _literally_ bleeding.” He stepped forward pulling her shirt up gently. She hissed, hot pain lancing through her as the soaked fabric pulled away from torn skin. Kaiden gripped her am as she swayed. “Alex. Shit.” He cursed.

Okay, so maybe the cut was worse than she thought.

Alex could hear that Kaiden was saying something to her, but her vision was blurring, and her head was spinning. Black dotted the corners of her eyes as she felt an arm slide under her knees, hoisting her up against a solid, warm chest.

The last thing she heard was the smash of a bubbledoor before unconsciousness took her.

<><><>

Kaiden James had been sitting next to his unconscious girlfriend for an hour now. Except for quiet whimpers every now and then—making his heart clench—she remained comatose. When he’d lifted her shirt up to see the gruesome torn flesh beneath, his heart had skipped a beat. It was bad, really bad, and she’d passed out soon after that, even with him urging her to stay awake.

She was going to be fine; Fletcher had informed him. It was nasty, but nothing the regenivators couldn’t fix. The only catch was it would take time. The wound was deep; like, _really_ deep. How Alex had received that and not noticed baffled Kaiden. Either adrenaline or high pain tolerance, he supposed. 

Her small hand rested limply in his as he stared blankly out the window. His mind wandered from thought to thought. The main one being guilt. He’d snapped at Declan, something he rarely did towards his best friend—or anyone for that matter. He always tried to be neutral and open-minded in any situation. Anger was a last resort, and even then, he tried to keep it tame. Passive-aggressive. It seemed that in regard to Alex his emotions got the best of him. He was still frustrated at Declan, “You didn’t notice you’d cut her stomach open?” He’d snapped, exasperated. Despite that lingering frustration, he still felt remorse. Declan had looked so hurt, so guilty. And damn him if he didn’t feel like an asshole for talking to him like that.

His mental turmoil was interrupted by a laboured groan and a pained whimper. His head snapped to the bed beside him.

<><><>

Tears prickled in Alex’s freshly opened eyes. Her abdomen burned, the ache travelling up to her chest making breathing hard. The second thing she registered after the pain was the calloused palm resting in hers—a warm and comforting weight. Groaning, she attempted to sit up; a regrettable decision on her part. She whimpered her discomfort before falling back against the pristine white bedding that she’d become very familiar with over her years at Akarnae Academy. 

_Ah, Med Bay, we meet again._

The next thing she noticed after that was the fact, she was topless, save for the grey sports bra she’d donned that morning. Yet, with the thick white gauze covering most of her midriff she couldn’t bring herself to feel embarrassed—which brought her to the last thing she noticed. Kaiden James staring down at her, a relieved, yet concerned look in his eyes.

“You’re awake,” Kaiden whispered. Alex could only nod, squeezing his hand tightly.

“Does it—are you in pain?” He asked hesitantly.

She swallowed thickly, finding her voice and praying the tightness in her chest didn’t worsen. “Yeah. Yeah, it hurts.”

Fingers ran over her knuckles soothingly before her hand was brought to her boyfriend’s lips. After he gave the back a gentle kiss, she moved it to cup Kaiden’s cheek. He leaned into the touch, turning his face to plant a kiss to her open palm.

He kissed her palm again. “I’ll find Fletcher and he can get something for the pain.” He reassured, placing her hand back against the bedding and standing up. She nodded her gratitude. The pain in her abdomen was worsening to the point of feeling nauseous, and she did _not_ want to throw up after the demanding day she’d endured. She hated vomiting, it was exhausting and disgusting and after everything that’d happened in the past few hours—or more; how long was she even out?—spilling her guts was not something she wanted to add to the growing list of crap she’d been through today.

Kaiden returned a moment later, Fletcher hot on his heels.

“Fletcher,” Alex said, a wry smile gracing her lips, “Long time, no see.”

Fletcher sighed in what could only be described as fond exasperation. “Not long enough, Alex. Not long enough.”

“I’m offended,” she exclaimed dramatically. “Didn’t you miss me?”

“We’ve already had this discussion. _Multiple times._ ” She laughed, well, winced would be a more appropriate term. Air hissed through her teeth as she ground them; trying to find something—anything to distract her from the pain.

“Ah, yes, pain relief.” He declared, scribbling something down on his clipboard before making his way over the usual cabinet of medicinal tonics. “Can you sit up, Alex?”

She took a deep breath and then, as quick as she could, pushed herself up. Her logic was that it would be like ripping off a bandaid—quick and painless. _Oh, sweet mother of God_ —she was wrong. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as the wildfire in her abdomen burned brighter and jumped to her chest. Her eyes closed tightly as another wave of that wretched dizziness and nausea came along.

She was going to be si—

Strong hands gripped both her arms and she was pulled upright into a firm chest. She sobbed in relief as the position allowed her to relax her raging muscles. “It’s alright, Sweetheart.” Kaiden soothed. His hands roved up and down her arms, rubbing them lovingly. “Relax,” he whispered against her hair. Alex realized then that she was still sobbing quietly. She took a shuddering, deep breath. And then another; all the while Kaiden continued his calming movements—rubbing her arms and periodically kissing her hairline.

“Mother hen,” she breathed softly after a few more seconds of slow breaths. Despite the playful chiding, she still turned her head slightly—trying to minimise the movement of her lower body—and pressed a grateful kiss to his shoulder.

Kaiden ceased his movements, but his hands still rested underneath her bent elbows. She finally opened her eyes. Fletcher was smiling at them softly, his gaze holding sympathy for Alex’s pain and knowingness towards the bond the two shared. She blushed.

A vial of green liquid was passed to her and she took it gratefully, swallowing the contents in two quick gulps. The tonic travelled down her throat, warming the pit of her stomach pleasantly and after a few more seconds, her perpetual pain was perpetual no longer. She sighed in relief, leaning further into her boyfriend’s embrace. She wanted to ask him if he could wrap his arms around her, but it would be a challenge to position them without inflicting pain. So instead, she asked, “How long was I out?”

“About an hour and a half now,” Fletcher replied as he jotted down another lot of notes. Probably to go into Alex’s ever-expanding incidents file. She smiled at the thought of how it would likely grow significantly before her time at Akarnae was up. Especially if she got apprenticeships in Combat and SAS like she expected she would.

She turned slightly to look up at Kaiden—the pain in her midriff already lessened to a dull ache. “And how long have _you_ been here?”

When he didn’t meet her gaze, she knew the answer, but still waited for his reluctant reply. “About an hour and a half now.”

Alex sighed and smacked his shoulder lightly. “You can’t put your entire life on hold for me, Kaiden,” she chastised. “Have you even eaten dinner?”

“No, I haven’t, but—”

“Kaiden, God why didn’t you eat. Or at least grab a sna—”

“I was worried, Alex.” He rasped. His voice was thick, and he coughed to clear it. Alex turned around to face him fully. His striking features were set in affliction, beautiful blue eyes glazed as if he was replaying the past few hours in his head. “I know it’s irrational. I knew you were going to be fine. I just…” He sighed. “I didn’t want to leave you.”

“Kaiden.” Alex sighed, both of her hands rising to frame his face. He blinked, eyes coming back into focus.

_I’m such a hypocrite._

The realization clattered through her mind. She’d stayed with him for days on end when he was injured in combat; and now, here she was telling him off for caring. For caring about her. For being by her side when she was hurt. And of course, he wouldn’t have pointed out that she was being a hypocrite because he’s _Kaiden._

“Oh, Kaid,” Alex said, smiling apologetically. “I’m glad you’re here, even if you are acting like an overbearing mother hen.”

Kaiden chuckled, pulling Alex to his chest. He made sure to avoid touching or crushing her still-tender stomach, which she appreciated. “I was worried, Alex.” He repeated, voice tickling her collarbone. “I know,” she replied, hugging him a little tighter.

Alex continued to hold her boyfriend, content to stay like that—wrapped in each other’s arms—forever. He didn’t make to move away and neither did she. They rested like that for a while before she finally insisted, he should go and get some food and much-needed rest. He agreed, albeit reluctantly and left her for the night with a gentle kiss on the lips and an “I love you,” full of so much adoration that as soon as the door shut behind him, a single tear rolled down Alex’s cheek.

<><><>

It had been two days since the incident in combat and Fletcher finally relented, giving Alex the all-clear to head back to classes. “On the condition, you _take it easy_ ,” he’d instructed sternly—well, as sternly as Fletcher could be. 

When Monday rolled around, and she finally left Med Bay, she wasn’t surprised to find Kaiden waiting for her just outside the door. It wouldn’t be completely absurd, she mused, to assume he’d stood vigil this entire time without her knowledge. He was way too good for her, she’d concluded. The perfect boyfriend. When she had gotten that lucky was beyond her.

Kaiden smiled at her gently and held out a hand. She took it gratefully, leaning into his side and pressing a kiss to his shoulder. They walked in silence until her boyfriend broke it.

“What was so important?” He asked.

She looked up at him, puzzled. “What?”

He laughed. “Before everything. In combat. You were practically storming over to me with the most determined look on your face. I remember you saying that whatever your dilemma was, it was more important than the fact you were bleeding.”

“Oh,” she blushed. That stupid argument she and Declan were having. Looking back now, she was embarrassed at how ridiculous it was. It was the kind of argument that if you told someone about it, they’d look at you for a moment wondering how in hell it had even started in the first place. Yet, they don’t call you out on the stupidity of it all. “It was nothing, really.” She tried to sound nonchalant, but Kaiden saw right through it, smirking down at her.

“What was it about?” He asked lightly, curiously. Oh, so he was playing this game.

“Nothing.” She said.

“Well, it was obviously something if it had you that worked up.” He arched a thick eyebrow.

“That’s for me to know, and you to _never_ find out, boyfriend.”

The smile he gave her meant trouble. It was going to be a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask me what Alex and Declan were arguing about cause I'll never tell...
> 
> Feel free to send me prompts on Tumblr @Azymondias05


	3. "Everyone's gonna know."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "Everyone’s gonna know what we’ve been doing." "Oh, I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter is a bit more intense romance wise. No smut, I promise. But I've decided to classify this as "Steam." So yeah, I don't really know what else to say. A lot of Kailex fluff as usual. Hope you enjoy!

Alexandra Jennings was finally content.

It was Friday afternoon; two weeks of holidays had officially begun. And she was beyond relieved. Kaiden definitely hadn’t warned her enough about how taxing apprenticeship training was. It’d only been a term and she was already exhausted—the Combat, ES and SAS training being twice as vigorous and time-consuming. She couldn’t believe her boyfriend had gone through an entire year of this already and hadn’t shed a single complaint to her. But, then again, Kaiden James was never one to grouse.

Unless it was about a certain ebullient Shadow Wolf who often took up Alex’s time.

Either way, she was not given any warnings prior to the start of this year. And she told Kaiden as much in the first week back. He’d apologised—albeit amusedly—promising massages and kisses when her muscles inevitably began to burn like a raging inferno.

Kaiden’s methods of grovelling brought her back to the present, currently sitting in his lap, her knees either side of his thighs and his lips trailing their way down the column of her throat. She sighed, wrapping her arms tighter around his shoulders. His lips were soft and warm, his tongue coming out every now and again to tease her skin. She could’ve gotten lost in his touch had Kaiden not pulled back. She whined quietly.

_God, when did his kiss become so intoxicating?_

Her boyfriend’s chest rumbled with silent laughter as he moved a hand from where it was situated on her hip to run along her hairline. “What’s on your mind?” He asked, presumably noticing her wandering thoughts.

“Honestly? I want to stay here forever.”

He chuckled. “We probably could, it’s not like anyone can walk in on us.”

He was right. Being Chosen by the library had its perks, namely being able to escape without anyone disturbing you, whether it be for studies, training or… other activities. This room, or space, rather, was one of Alex’s favourites. It was a simple courtyard, a fountain adorning its centre, cobblestone paths encircling it. A wall of lush green hedges surrounded them, and trees were planted in each grassy corner. Which was where they were now, resting against the trunk of one of the impressive oaks.

“Well, the library has a mind of its own, and _has_ made exceptions for people in the past.” Alex countered. “I’m sure if Karter was pissed enough because we were skipping training, he could will a door into existence by sheer anger alone.”

Kaiden barked out a laugh. “You forget, we’re out on bail for two weeks,” he joked.

“Indeed. Prison was rough.” They both burst out laughing.

After their chortling subsided, Alex rested her forehead against his, taking a moment to breathe in his relaxing scent. “Unfortunately, if we’re going to make it to my parents’ this weekend we’ll have to leave at some point.”

Kaiden hummed. “We still have—” He glanced down at the Freyan watch Alex gifted him for Kaldoras last year, “—a half-hour before we need to pack up our things. So, I say we should make the most of it.” 

His smile was devilish as he took Alex’s bottom lip between his teeth, wrapping his arms around her waist, effectively pulling her flush against him. He stifled her gasp as his mouth began to move against hers. She kissed him back with fever as his cunning hand ran up her back to tangle in her hair. With the kind of dexterity that she’d come to expect from Kaiden, he managed to pull out her hair-tie with a single hand, letting her hair tumble down; conveniently, giving him more leverage to tilt her head and deepen the kiss.

She was short of breath when they broke apart, panting softly as Kaiden’s lips travelled along her jaw. Each press of his mouth was feather-light, teasing, making Alex restless. She needed more. Kaiden read her like an open book, sensing the complaint before it left her lips—happy to oblige. He brushed her now-unbound hair aside to make the descent down her neck again, the press of his mouth firmer. The sensations of his hands and lips and tongue were dizzying, her weeks’ exhaustion was forgotten, her worry about her parents’ awkward tendencies flew out the window, her mind was perfectly blank, save for thoughts of the man in front of her.

Kaiden,

Kaiden,

Kaiden,

Kaiden,

Kaiden,

_Kaiden._

The gentle suck and nip of his teeth where her neck met her shoulder snapped her out of the peaceful oblivion she'd drifted off into. “Kaiden.” She warned.

“What?” He asked innocently, knowing very well why she was protesting.

“If you leave a mark, everyone’s gonna know what we’ve been doing.”

“Oh, I know.” He whispered playfully, his hot breath ghosting over her ear. She shivered, momentarily speechless. He took the opportunity to move back to the crook of her neck to continue his ministrations, sucking on a spot slightly higher than the last.

“ _Kaid._ ” Alex hissed, smacking his shoulder with little to no force. She hated that her protests were so light-hearted. If she told him to stop, he would. But the sneaky asshole knew she was loving everything he was doing to her. And Goddamn her, she was—the mix of pleasure and pain making her stomach do flips.

But the logical part of her brain prevented her from giving in. “Kaiden, stop.” Alex groaned. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, therefore cutting off his access to her throat. She let her arms snake around his smooth muscular torso. He chuckled but conceded, wrapping her in a tight embrace, resting his chin on top of her head.

“It’s not funny,” Alex mumbled—voice muffled by his shirt. “If mum and dad see hickies on my neck this weekend, they’re gonna jump to conclusions and think we had sex.”

“Well, I mean, we have.” Indeed, Alex hoped she would never forget crossing that particular milestone.

She groaned again. “Yeah, but _they_ don’t know that. Plus, I meant today—we didn’t have sex _today._ ” The notion that she should probably feel embarrassed about discussing their sex life so openly crossed her mind, but the thought faded quickly. It was a shock to realize that, no, she wasn't embarrassed. It blew her mind how casually they could discuss these kinds of things. It really went to show how far she’d come with Kaiden—how much she trusted him. She was fairly certain he knew more about her than anyone else. Which was ironic considering their early relationship consisted of Alex refusing to share anything with him. Now, she couldn't be more content with her boyfriend knowing everything about her. She loved having someone to confide in, someone who listened, someone who loved her to no end.

Even if Kaiden did things like this sometimes.

Reluctantly, she sat back, already missing his warm embrace as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. “How bad is it?” She asked.

“I’m sure DC will have some makeup to cover them with.” He replied. She could tell he was fighting off a laugh, and from that alone she knew they were prominent.

“You know, I should be pissed at you.” She stated.

“But…?”

“But I’m not.” She sighed. “You’re lucky I love you.”

Kaiden smiled his big, bright, _beautiful_ smile and the last of Alex’s anger dissipated. And when the words, “I love you, too,” tumbled from his mouth, she couldn’t stop herself from capturing his lips with her own once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really considering writing a part two with Alex's parents' reaction. Don't know if anyone would read it lmao <3


	4. "I'm going to beat the fuck out of that pretentious bastard!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: “I’m going to beat the fuck out of that pretentious bastard!” “Well, good morning to you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda had A LOT of fun writing this, so if you guys don't like it, I don't care <3 It has an OC of mine cause I needed one for the sake of the plot. I doubt he'll come up again, and I'm not adding him to the tags. Also, there's quite a lot of swearing. Don't know why, it just happened. Hope you enjoy!

Kaiden James was enjoying his Sunday morning of free time, reading a novel sprawled out on his bed. All was quiet until someone began knocking on his dorm door. Scratch that, _banging_ would be a more appropriate term, loud and obnoxious. Whoever it was, was insistent. It was just past 7am and he knew his best friend was currently out training with Karter, so only one other person would be game enough to beat down his door like this.

Kaiden smiled and made his way towards the entrance of his room. The great thing about being an apprentice was the dormitories. The Lady Omar dorms were single-person and away from all the chaos of the other students, ensuring a fair amount of privacy when his girlfriend—

“I’m going to beat the _fuck_ out of that pretentious bastard!” Alex cried, bursting into his room as soon as he opened the door, her anger palpable.

“Well, good morning to you, too.” He deadpanned, smiling, shutting the door and turning to face Alex. He hadn’t seen her this pissed since her arguing phase with Declan. Thank God, that was over now. Although, he suspected that it was because of his and Declan’s graduation. Being an apprentice while Alex was a senior meant none of their timetables lined up. While that might’ve been a plus for Declan, Kaiden and Alex had barely any time to spend together.

Her frustration faltered and she sighed. “I’m sorry, babe.” He grew concerned as her face fell. “I’ve just had a shitty week and that _asshole_ had the nerve to—argh, can you just hold me? Please?”

Without further prompting, Kaiden encircled her with his arm. She sighed again, hugging his waist and letting her cheek fall against his chest. He could still feel her frustration and something akin to sadness. They’d spoken throughout the week; he’d missed something apparently.

Keeping her close to his side, they made their way over to Kaiden’s bed. It wasn’t the biggest bed in the universe, being a single, so as he laid down, his girlfriend practically rested on top of him. Not that either of them seemed to mind.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked finally, after minutes of silence between them.

“Don’t be mad.” She whispered, and his worry only grew.

“Why would I be mad, Alex?”

She sat up, prompting him to do the same. Once they settled across from each other, she crossed her legs and stared at her hands currently fiddling in her lap. The silence stretched on and she glanced up at him every now and again. He read her face in the brief glances she was giving him, realising that what he assumed was sadness before was really guilt. Why was she feeling guilty? His stomach roiled.

“Alex, talk to me.” His much larger hands came to rest atop hers', stopping their nervous movements.

She still didn’t meet his eyes as she spoke. “Remember that guy a told you about a while back? The new fourth-year in SAS?”

“Yeah? Tommy, right?” She nodded.

“He um—the first day—” She looked up and then back down. “A few classes in, he—he started to flirt with me. But I told him I had a boyfriend, and that he needed to stop.” Her throat bobbed. “He didn’t. And he started acting like such an ass, like he was entitled to my respect, like he was better than everyone else. And he—um—he seemed to think he was entitled to _me_ as well. He was still flirting with me constantly, and I was trying to ignore him.”

Alex paused and huffed. Kaiden’s worry turned into downright anger. Why was Alex so nervous, she couldn’t even look at him? Couldn’t even meet his eyes and _talk_ to him.

“He—a few nights ago, he was talking to a couple of other guys and he called me _his girl_ and I was so pissed. If it weren’t for Jordan convincing me that it wasn’t worth it, I probably would’ve punched him.”

Kaiden felt inclined to do the same. She still wouldn’t look at him and his frustration was growing. It took all his willpower not to interrupt, or worse, go find the guy and talk some sense into him.

“Anyway, today he—” She paused, and seemed to cave in on herself, her shoulders slouching and face twisting.

He gripped her chin between his thumb and forefinger, making her look at him. “Alex, what the hell is wrong? You’re scaring me. Did he hurt you?”

Her face was overcome with guilt again and before she could look away again, Kaiden pulled her into his lap, gripping her chin firmer, forcing her to look at him.

“He kissed me,” she whispered. Kaiden’s whole body went rigid. “I didn’t kiss him back—I promise. He just—we were in the hall this morning and he caught me off guard and he kissed me. I’m so, so sorry Kaid. I didn’t—please don’t be mad at me.” She whispered that last part and Kaiden’s heart broke. He _was_ mad, so fucking mad. But not at her, never at Alex. She did nothing wrong.

Anger overtook Alex’s own features. “If it makes you feel any better, I kneed him in the balls.”

Kaiden snorted, beside himself, and Alex’s shock would’ve been amusing, had she not been so worried about his rejection. He pulled her to his chest and rested back against the headboard. “That’s my girl,” he mumbled into the top of her head.

She laughed lightly and relaxed in his arms. “I _am_ mad, Alex.” She tensed slightly, he amended, “Not at you, baby, at him. _He’s_ the asshole that flirted with you all the time, _he’s_ the asshole that kissed you when you told him you have a boyfriend. You’re not in the wrong, Alex. I wish you would’ve told me sooner, and I’m a little frustrated you didn’t, considering this has been going on for—what, weeks? But I’m _not mad at you._ I’m mad at him.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” She said quietly, remorsefully. “I thought I was overreacting and then I was scared about how you would react.”

“It’s alright, gorgeous.” He sighed and kissed the crown of her head. “Although, I think Tommy needs a reality check.”

She looked up at his telling tone. “Oh? What did you have in mind?”

<><><>

Tuesday evening, Alex was a little nervous. It wasn’t as if their plan was some convoluted masterpiece. Quite frankly, they were just making a statement. Kaiden had asked Hunter if he could observe the new SAS recruits next class. Alex’s teacher was suspicious, and honestly, he could probably sense the ulterior motive, but he’d agreed.

They met Hunter and the rest of the class at their usual spot at the edge of the forest. Kaiden stood next to the teacher as he explained their task for today. But she was only half-listening. Most of her attention was being used to fight the smile that threatened to curve her lips. Tommy had seen Alex and Kaiden make their way down the hill together, hand in hand.

In hindsight, she probably could’ve just told the kid _who_ her boyfriend was. Kaiden James had built quite the reputation with his skills at Akarnae, and if Tommy had known whose girl he was flirting with, he might’ve backed off. Oh well, she loved seeing him squirm now. He kept glancing between her and Kaiden, fiddling with the weird rope bracelet he wore all the time, trying desperately to hide his nerves.

He was failing miserably.

Her boyfriend’s glare definitely had something to do with that. Hunter continued to talk, and if he noticed Kaiden’s firm stance and set jaw, he didn’t comment. Alex desperately wanted to laugh when Kaiden shifted again and Tommy paled. She didn’t think she’d ever seen someone look so pallid. He was as white as the Med Bay sheets.

“Alright, everyone grab a pack and head off when you’re ready.” Alex smiled as Kaiden made his way over to her.

He made sure Tommy was watching as he wished her good luck and gave her a kiss. A kiss that was far from chaste. Alex heard Jordan snicker. She hadn’t told him about her plans prior to this class, but he seemed to be putting two and two together.

“Hey,” Kaiden began, turning and holding out his hand. “Timmy, right?”

Tommy bristled but shook Kaiden’s hand, nonetheless. “Tommy,” he corrected, “Nice to meet you, man.”

“You too, Timmy.”

The fourth-year stiffened. “It’s. Tommy.” He ground out through the fakest smile Alex had ever seen.

Her boyfriend blinked innocently, and she had to bite her lip to stop from smiling. “That’s what I said, right babe?” He said, pulling Alex into his side and kissing her temple.

“Yeah, absolutely.” Alex agreed. Tommy’s nostrils flared.

“Now, listen,” Kaiden said, voice suddenly serious. Whether he wanted his mask of neutrality to drop or not, it was gone now. “You seem like a nice guy, _Timmy_. But you have to understand—when I hear that another guy is flirting with my girlfriend when she explicitly asked him not to, when she _told you_ she’s in a relationship, and _forcing yourself on her_ despite that, I’m going to be a bit upset, no?”

Tommy’s adam’s apple bobbed and he took a step back, looking surprisingly small considering he and Kaiden were similar in height. “Right.” He mumbled.

“You’ll have to thank Alex for convincing me that punching your smug-ass face was a bad idea, otherwise this night might’ve turned out very differently.” Tommy’s eyes widened comically. “All I’m asking is that you kindly _fuck off,_ and have some _respect._ And not just in this situation, in any—when a woman says no, you _listen._ ”

Tommy backed down, apologised almost immediately and scurried off to start their assignment. Alex was pleased to note he still had a slight limp from their encounter on Sunday morning.

_Serves him right,_ she thought.

After he was well out of earshot, Alex gave Kaiden a grateful kiss. “Was I scary enough?” He asked, chuckling.

“Mmhmm, _very_ scary.” She mumbled against his mouth.

It was safe to say that that douchetard wouldn’t be bothering Alex again anytime soon. Thank God for that because she only had eyes for the man in front of her, and she hoped that would never change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, 'douchetard' is a word. Don't @ me.
> 
> As always, feel free to send me prompts on here or on my Tumblr, @Azymondias05


	5. “No… not cramps—cramps.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt for me because I was in the mood to write it: “I’m just having stomach cramps.” “Oh, did you eat something funny?” “No… not cramps—cramps.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again I enjoyed writing this a lot... and I honestly don't know what else to say. This chapter has talk about semi-taboo topics I guess. Some people hate talking/writing about menstruation cycles (periods) and whatnot. But everyone's different. Anyway, as always, hope you enjoy <3

Alex shifted in Kaiden’s arms for the fourth time since they’d reclined on his bed that evening. He traced the length of her spine with his fingertips, slowly making his way to tangling them in her splayed out hair, scratching her scalp lightly. He knew she loved it.

On cue, she sighed happily snuggling further into the warmth of his chest, her palm coming to rest there, as well as her cheek.

But again, discomfort overtook her features and she shifted once more.

“Okay, what’s wrong?” He prompted.

Alex hummed, propping her chin on his chest. “What? Nothing, I’m fine.”

She ducked her head down again, but not before Kaiden noticed the way her face scrunched up, her brows crinkling. Although, even if he hadn’t caught it, her sharp intake of breath gave her away. She was in pain.

“Alex.” He mumbled, his fingers dragging up and down her arm.

“It’s nothing, Kaid. I promise. I'm just… I’m having stomach cramps.”

“Oh, did you eat something funny?”

She groaned, pulling away from him and rolling over onto her side. He rolled with her, sliding his right arm around her waist, and propping up his head on his left. He looked down at her, trying to gauge her reaction. Her eyes were shut tightly, and pink dusted her cheeks.

“No… not cramps— _ cramps. _ ” She whispered as if he should understand.

He didn’t.

But then he did.

He almost wanted to laugh at how flustered she was acting but refrained. Something told him, it would not help the situation. “Period cramps, Alex?”

She whimpered and buried her face in his pillow. He could barely make out the muffled “Yes,” but it was there. He leant down and brushed his lips over her ear. She shivered.

“Look at me,” he said softly. She obliged—though, reluctantly—shifting onto her back, so he was half on top of her. They’d never discussed her cycle before, but he sure as hell didn’t want her to be embarrassed. He’d told her numerous times—she could talk to him about anything. Inconveniently, before he could another word in, she inhaled abruptly, eyes squeezing shut again.

He hated seeing her in pain, but at least he could do something about it now. Jeera had always had it rough when it was that time of the month. Kaiden remembered one night when she was about 12, she’d bled onto her bed and was in complete hysterics over it. It took hours for Aunt Nisha to calm her down. She’d slept with him for the rest of the night and he’d held her tightly, comfortingly.

After so many years of living with two women, he’d gotten used to the topics that were supposed to be taboo. They were just… normal. At times his family even joked about them. 

Judging by her reaction, Alex’s upbringing seemed to be fairly different. She’d mentioned she’d travelled a lot; her parents being archaeologists. Did that mean that those sorts of subjects never came up between them in their haste to move from place-to-place?

He dipped his head down to kiss her crinkled nose. Alex’s eyes fluttered open again as she smiled shyly.

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, gorgeous.” He insisted, running his knuckles along her cheek. “You can’t do anything to stop it.” He leaned down again and Alex tensed. Although, this time it wasn’t because of pain. She saw the mischief in his eyes. “Just like when I saw you in that bikini the other day, looking absolutely stunning, I couldn’t help getting a massive bon—”

“Kaiden!” Alex screeched, shoving him off her.

He barked out a laugh before looking at her and launching into a fit of guffaws. Alex’s cheeks were bright red now. Her previous blush paling in comparison.

“I hate you!” She hissed indignantly, trying to escape from his bed. Kaiden was still laughing as he grabbed her and pulled her to him; her back against his front. The abdominal muscles under his palm tensed and Alex moved uncomfortably. Kaiden sobered immediately.

“Do you get bad cramps?” He questioned. She took a moment—either getting over her awkwardness or forming a response—to answer. But she replied, “Sometimes. They tend to vary, but my flow’s always heavy.” She cringed. “Sorry, TMI.”

He chuckled. “That’s a new one. I still don’t fully understand why you Freyans abbreviate things when you could just say the words.”

Alex shrugged. “It’s just quicker,” she mumbled. “And TMI means ‘Too Much Information.’”

“Ah, makes sense,” he replied. “TMI — not your reasoning behind abbreviations.”

She grumbled again but her lips curved up. He kissed the corner of her mouth and she smiled fully. It made his heart leap. Her smile had, and always will make him so unbelievably happy.

Kaiden was still curious about his earlier assumption, so he asked. “Your parents…” He paused figuring out the best way to word what he was saying. “Did they ever talk to you about, well, periods and stuff?”

Alex was tense against him and was blushing again. “Yes and no. When I first got my period, I talked to mum enough for me to understand it happened once a month and what pads and” — She blushed deeper — “tampons were. After that, I mainly Googled anything I need to know; about periods or… other things.”

“Googled?” Everything she’d said made sense except for that. Another abbreviation, maybe?

“Oh,” her eyes lit with realization. “Ohmygod, I completely forgot you don’t have Google here. I mean, I’d kind of just gotten used to reading books since I moved to Medora. But, my God, I miss being able to Google things.”

Yep, he was still lost. He told her as much.

“It’s this thing on the internet.” His brow furrowed. “Never mind. Basically, it’s a bunch of information programmed into a search engine. Google. Look it won’t make much sense unless you actually use it.” Her entire face lit up with excitement. “ I could totally take us to Freya and I could show you.”

Kaiden smiled at her enthusiasm. “I’d love that,” he agreed, kissing her softly on her lips.

Suddenly, she moved again, her bright smile faltering, reminding him of what he was originally about to offer. “Do you want a hot water bottle?” He asked softly.

She startled and twisted to face him, eyes wide with surprise. “I—how?”

Kaiden planted a kiss to her shoulder. “Jeera had and still has rough cycles. Bad cramps, heavy flow, all that good stuff.” He explained, “After a while, I learnt what I could do to help.” He shrugged.

Alex smiled at him, her surprise still evident alongside a look of understanding. Throughout their entire exchange, her body had been tense; her mood nervous and embarrassed. She relaxed against him now, the epiphany that there was nothing for her to worry about allowing her to loosen up. This wasn’t a foreign topic to Kaiden, he wasn’t uncomfortable, so she didn’t have to be.

“So, hot water bottle?”

“Yes, please. That would be lovely.” She added swiftly, “Only if you don’t mind, Kaid.”

“Of course not.” He pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead before untangling their limbs, standing up and making his way down the hall.

<><><>

__

When Kaiden returned, Alex was on her side, wrapped around one of his pillows. He smiled because, not only did she look adorable, once she left, the pillow would smell like her. Was it weird that he loved the way she smelled? Probably. But that didn’t stop her scent from calming him; from relaxing him after a long day.

She sat up—pillow still in her arms—blinking blearily as Kaiden climbed back over and sat next to her. He handed her the hot water bottle.

“Thank you.” She said gratefully. She ran her hands over the woollen cover, smiling. “Where’d you get this? It’s beautiful.”

Kaiden’s chest squeezed as he gazed down at the coloured patterning, smiling sadly. “My mum made it the year she passed away.” He said hoarsely. “She loved to crochet.”

Alex rested her hand on his, interlacing their fingers. She brought her head to rest against his shoulder, her opposite hand doing another reverent pass over the material.

“I would’ve loved to have met her.” His girlfriend whispered after the comfortable silence stretched on.

“She would’ve loved you, Alex.” He replied, just as quiet. “So,  _ so  _ much.”

Placing the pillow in its original place against the headboard, Alex repositioned herself, so she was lying down again. The hot water bottle rested on her abdomen as she pulled Kaiden down to rest his head on her chest. Slowly, she carted her hands through the thick strands on his head, pressing down in certain places gently, tending to his muscles.

Before he could stop them, two stray tears left his eyes. What he’d said was true, his mother would’ve loved Alex. This beautiful woman who was holding him, comforting him, not forcing conversation or expelling tiresome sympathies. Instead, she kept him close, the silence allowing the  _ thump, thump, thump  _ of her heartbeat travel through him.

His mother would’ve loved Alex so much, just as he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I write this when I was on my period and emotionally unstable? Yes. Yes, I did.
> 
> Sorry, not sorry.
> 
> Also, I'm kinda curious how old everyone reading this is. I feel like I'm considered as part of the older fans of this series (I'm 15) but I really don't know.
> 
> My Tumblr, @Azymondias05


	6. First time sharing a bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from anon on Tumblr: First time sharing a bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I don't want to pull the self-conscious writer card but writing for someone else is scary as hell. This is my first time writing a prompt request so I hope it's decent. I'd say this is set quite early on, probably before the first chapter of this fic (My timeline's all over the place lmao). Anyway, now that that's off my chest, I hope you enjoy what I've written anon <3

The crackle of fire and the chirps of crickets filled the gorgeous night. It was unbelievably peaceful, Alex thought as she snuggled further into her boyfriend’s embrace. His brawny arms were wrapped snugly around her waist, her head on his shoulder as she sat between his thighs. Across from them, Dix and Jordan were in a similar position, except she was sitting diagonally across his lap. The campfire sat in between the two couples, illuminating the space.

The night thus far had been spent roasting marshmallows and complaining about school. Alex was enjoying the tranquillity of being in the middle of nowhere—well, almost nowhere. The fact she could summon a door and escape the forest they were currently residing in defeated the premise slightly.

Either way, spending time with her friends and her very strong, very _handsome_ boyfriend, had been a blast so far.

“So, I was thinking…” Dix began. Alex sighed, waiting for whatever her best friend had to offer. She knew that voice, it was the _I want to know your opinion, but I’ll get what I want anyway_ voice.

“We only have two tents.” She continued.

“And?” Alex laughed.

“Well, I know your parents insisted that us girls sleep in one tent, and the boyfriends sleep in the other…”

Oh Lord, Alex knew where she was going with this. Kaiden seemed to, too, hiding his smile against her scalp.

“I want to spend the night with Jordan, you want to spend the night with Kaiden,”—Alex began to object—“You totally do, Alex. Don’t even say otherwise.” Kaiden’s chest shook against her back as he attempted to hold back his laughter.

“Come on, _please_.” Dix continued, clasping her hands in front of her and pouting like a child.

“But we only have the two blow-up mattresses.” Alex tried to justify. It was true. They were initially going to bring four single camp stretchers, but Alex’s mother was in a fussy mood, insisting they have something more comfortable. They ended up leaving with two blow up mattresses—one for each tent—and the rule that only one gender was allowed on each.

“And? They’re both doubles; you and I were going to share anyway. We’ll just… switch bed buddies.”

This time Kaiden did laugh, as did Jordan. “ _Bed buddies?”_ They said in unison.

Dix merely ignored their antics, waggling her eyebrow at Alex.

She swallowed back her doubts; well, she tried to. On one hand, Alex felt slightly nervous about sharing a bed with her boyfriend. They’d made out a few times, and Alex loved his hugs and kisses, but sharing a bed? Her stomach fluttered. On the other hand, the thought of spending the night with Kaiden sent a strange kind of thrill through her. The situation had a certain rebellious feel to it. Disobeying her parents, sleeping with—no, _sharing a bed_ with—not sleeping. Well, there would be sleeping, just not… anything else.

The latter honestly was more appealing. 

Alex allowed a small smile to curve her lips as she spoke the words she hopefully wouldn’t regret. “Okay, fine.”

Kaiden let out a shocked laugh. “I can’t—you just—you never give up that easily, babe.”

Alex’s cheeks warmed. “I mean, it’s up to you—we don’t have to—I don’t—”

“Alex,” he cut her off. “I’m fine with it, I’m just worried Dix is pressuring you into a situation that makes you uncomfortable.”

“Objection!” Dix sputtered. Alex _really_ regretted introducing her to Freyan crime dramas. 

“Hush, Princess,” Jordan chided. Dix scowled at the pet name he’d started calling her. Alex knew the truth, though—in their late-night roommate conversations her friend had admitted that she secretly loved it.

Alex let out a breath. “No, I’m not uncomfortable.” She looked between her boyfriend and her best friend. “We can switch _bed buddies,_ I suppose.”

Dix’s entire face lit up, and Alex couldn’t help but match her smile. Whoever coined the phrase “Smiling is contagious,” couldn’t have been more right.

<><><>

Alex’s teeth wouldn’t stop chattering. Like, at all. She was laying on her side of the mattress she was currently sharing with her boyfriend, practically falling off the edge so she didn’t feel awkward. And did she mention she was freezing? Her sleeping bag didn’t seem to cut it for warmth. She was cocooned as tightly as possible, trying to find some semblance of protection from the chill. It wasn’t working.

Hours had passed since they’d all retired to their tents, yet Alex couldn’t sleep one bit. Kaiden was right next to her and instead of his presence being comforting as it usually was, it sent her into a boiling pit of nerves. They were sharing a bed—granted, not a real one. Did a mattress on the ground even count? She was totally spiralling.

For the most part, that was the reason she couldn’t seem to catch a wink.

But as the night dragged on and the temperature dropped, sleeping with her boyfriend was the last thing on her mind. Now her body was shaking, and no matter how hard she tried, sleep escaped her, chased away by the never-ending cold.

“Alex?” Kaiden’s sleepy rumble mumbled beside her.

“Y-yeah?” She whispered.

“You’re cold.” It wasn’t a question.

“Y-yeah.” She answered anyway.

She felt the mattress shift and before she could react, an arm was slung over her waist and she was pulled flush against Kaiden. She yelped quietly and stiffened. Even with both of their sleeping bags between them, she could still feel every muscle, every contour of his chest, the warmth of his body. It was overwhelming.

“Relax, Alex.” She did no such thing. Kaiden sighed. “I promise, I’ll keep my hands to myself.” His teasing lilt helped a fraction, but not entirely.

“I wasn’t worried about that.” She said, the heat of his body beginning to thaw her frozen limbs.

“You’re stiff as a board.” He pointed out. His hands rubbed up and down her fabric-covered sides.

“I’m just—oh I don’t know. It feels…”

“Feels what?”

“Intimate. We’re sharing a bed and it feels intimate.”

“We’ve shared a bed before.”

“Tia Auras doesn’t count. You didn’t stay with me the entire night and we had separate rooms. Plus, at that point, sharing a bed with you was the last thing on my mind, you know, with Jordan hating me and all, and the potentially deadly trials ahead of us.”

Alex felt Kaiden’s jaw clench against the nape of her neck. No matter how he felt about Jordan now, the mention of how her friend treated her all those months ago still brought out his ire.

Despite that, his voice was calm as he replied. “Why does intimacy scare you, Gorgeous?” Alex’s heart sung at the nickname despite the daunting topic at hand. It was something he’d started calling her in the first few months after the war with Aven. She’d been struggling, physically and mentally. They’d lost so many people in that battle. So many friends. She’d almost lost her parents. She’d almost lost Kaiden. After all those deaths—most of which she blamed herself for—she’d felt ugly, inside and out, with bags under her eyes, her hair a mess. Kaiden had taken to calling her Gorgeous to remind her how beautiful she was. It had been her light in the pit of darkness she’d fallen into.

“Alex?” Kaiden coaxed. She exhaled slowly.

_Why did this feeling of intimacy scare her?_

“I… I’ve never had a boyfriend before, Kaiden. I travelled too much, always switching schools. But I’d hear all these girls talking about first bases, second bases, however many bases and I had absolutely no clue what it all meant. I don’t know the etiquette, I feel like everyone knows everything, like how to act, all the milestones, except for me. So, intimacy scares me because I don’t—I don’t even know how to be intimate. I just fall flat, and it’s awkward.”

Alex wasn't surprised to feel lighter after the confession. Talking helped, she’d realized over the few months of being with Kaiden. He was a great listener and insisted that he’d share her burdens. The first time he ever told her that was the first time she’d ever shed proper tears since the final battle. The first time she’d let herself let go. The first time she’d been the support _ed_ rather than the support _er._

Kaiden was quiet for a moment. “How about we just be ourselves. You’ll be you and I’ll be me and we’ll make our own path. Who cares about how other’s view the progression of relationships? We don’t have to conform to society’s ‘rules’ for dating. They’re bullshit anyway. We'll take what we get as it comes along.” He pressed his lips on her jaw. "Okay?"

"Okay." She breathed, smiling shyly even though her boyfriend couldn’t see it.

"Will you relax now?"

“Yeah.” She whispered into the darkness as her body finally embraced his warmth, settling as he spooned her from behind. "I love you."

“I love you, too, Alex.” His arms seemed to tighten around her, and she felt him bury his face in her hair. She felt safe, secure. Kaiden James seemed to always make her feel that way.

It wasn’t long before she drifted to sleep, right there in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know how I feel about this chapter. My goal was to make it more flirty, but it turned out a lot more serious than I expected it to be. I had fun writing it though.


	7. “You stole all the pillows."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr prompt: “You stole all the pillows so I’m using you as one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another self-indulgent prompt fic lmao. This is my shortest one yet and it's a little more mature, but I had a lot of fun writing it. (Again, no smut, I promise. If I'm ever gonna write smut, I'll change this fic's rating to Mature)

Alex awoke to the soothing scent of petrichor and citrus enveloping her foggy senses. She breathed in deeply, basking in the tranquillity it stirred within her.

Gently, her eyelids fluttered open as rogue rays of sunlight danced over her face and warmed her skin. As the haze of sleep began to clear, the existence of the relaxing scents slowly became apparent.

Draped over her stomach, her fiancé’s lithe arm held her tightly, the weight of it a welcome comfort, as it always was. His cheek we pressed just above her left breast, his unkempt hair tickling her collarbone, though, not unpleasantly.

She smiled drowsily, running her hand along his spine, casually marvelling at the way the muscles of his back shifted gently beneath her fingers’ scrutiny.

_ He’s beautiful, _ she thought with every ounce of love she had. Beautiful. It was such a feminine word, and yet, it still suited him. Handsome or attractive would work all the same, yet beautiful was the first adjective to flow through her thoughts.

Her hand ended its journey tangled in his hair. It was unruly and knotty, in need of a trim. But in all honesty, she liked it long—liked being able to drag her fingers through it and hear the masculine rumbles from deep within his chest that her touches stirred.

“Mmrrning,” Kaiden mumbled and Alex’s whole body warmed at the sleepy timbre of his voice.

“Morning,” she whispered back, bringing her lips to the crown of his head.

He shifted slightly but made no move to leave his place practically on top of her. Come to think of it, why was he practically on top of her? Usually, come morning, either her back was pressed against the solid plains of his chest or she was the one sprawled across  _ his  _ chest, not vice-versa.

Their current position was new—not that she minded it.

“You’re comfier than I thought you’d be,” he slurred. A surprised laugh bubbled out of Alex’s chest.

“I don’t know whether to be offended or flattered.”

“Flattered.” He replied instantly, his voice a cross between a mumble and a groan.

Alex loved Morning Kaiden. Most days he was entertaining, but only to a certain extent. Being an early riser, Alex rarely got more than a few minutes of Kaiden’s endearing morning mumbles before he was up and getting ready for the day; all the while, she spent that time trying to wake herself up. Today, though, was a special occasion as she was now graced with the presence of  _ hungover _ Morning Kaiden. Who was an absolute  _ delight _ . Funny and pouty and grumbly.

She’d have to thank Declan, Jordan and Bear for that. But knowing Kaiden was the most sensible drinker out of all of them, chances were, they wouldn’t be out of bed for hours yet.

“Baby?” She mumbled.

He hummed in reply and her smile widened. “Why are you on top of me?”

“Are you complaining?” His voice was husky, and she was made painfully aware that only a thin layer of clothes separated her skin from his naked torso. The fabric of her tank top barely did anything to shield her against the heat of his body.

“No,” she groaned quietly. Followed with, “You answered my question with a question.”

“Oh, did I?”

“I’m fairly certain you did, didn’t you?”

“I don’t know, what do you think?”

Okay, now he was just being a smart-ass. “Kaiden.”

“You stole all the pillows, so I’m using you as one.” He said simply. So simply, that Alex couldn’t help but laugh. She felt his lips curve against the nape of her neck and gasped quietly as his tongue darted out to taste her skin.

Despite her blood beginning to boil, she managed to drag her gaze around their practically empty bedroom. They’d only just begun to move and settle into their new apartment together, so there wasn’t much to see. Really, the only thing in their new room was the massive king-sized bed Alex had insisted they buy. With their taxing schedules training to become Swords, sleep was their saving grace. Kaiden had agreed wholeheartedly, and Alex didn’t regret their decision one bit; this bed was comfy as hell.

Her eyes passed over the door to their ensuite and down to their suitcases—which were so disorganised; they really needed to invest in a dresser of some sort—and then to the many pillows strewn all over the floor—except, miraculously, the one beneath her head.

“I didn’t steal them,” she laughed, “they’re scattered all over the floor, you big baby.”

He harrumphed and Alex giggled. “Guilty.” He admitted playfully, still on the cusp of being fully awake. “I just wanted an excuse to rub my sexy, manly body all over you.”

Alex  _ cackled  _ and shoved him off her. Kaiden landed on the opposite side of the bed with an  _ oof _ .

“Alex,” he groaned, looking adorably sexy with his tousled hair and heated stare, reaching out to try and tug her back against him.

Escaping his grasp, she smiled widely and stood, making her way across the room. “I’m going to have a shower,” she announced, and she burst into another fit of giggles as Kaiden scrambled out of bed, wincing as the light scorched his tender vision, insisting he join her.

Yeah, Alex  _ loved _ Morning Kaiden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd definitely love to shower with Morning Kaiden *waggles eyebrows suggestively*


	8. Scavenger Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiden and Alex's two-year wedding anniversary. Exchanging of gifts and surprises. Fluff and happy tears ensue <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg, my first ever non-dialogue prompt Oneshot. I hope you guys like this one. I was super emotional (In a good way) when writing it.

“Alex, I’m— _oof_.” Kaiden James had barely shut the front door before his wife barrelled into him, knocking the breath from his lungs.

“You made it.” Alex smiled up at him with an abundance of joy he rarely saw from her. Her full lips parted in a lovely smile, showing off her straight, white teeth.

Leaning down, their lips met in a tender kiss, a welcome home kiss. Kaiden was still in his fighting leathers and covered in sweat, but Alex didn’t seem to mind. As their lips moved together, she relaxed in his embrace. “I told you I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He gave her another short kiss. “Happy two-year wedding anniversary.”

She beamed. “I missed you.”

Indeed, despite his trip only being five days, he’d missed her greatly. They’d meant to go together, along with a few of their other colleagues to train the new recruits, but Alex had had a stomach bug the morning of, meaning she’d had to stay home. Kaiden had gotten permission to cut his time on the trip a day short so he could be home to celebrate his and Alex’s wedding anniversary. It was so unbelievably worth it, seeing her this happy, this excited that he was home. At this moment, she was smiling for him.

So here he was.

Albeit, a little later than he'd hoped. That was due to the fact that he'd stopped by his Aunt’s place beforehand to pick up Alex’s gift. This year, he’d gone simple yet sweet, and he hoped she’d like it.

<><><>

As soon as the door to their ensuite shut, Alex took off. She dashed into their study, grabbed the little sheets of paper containing all the clues and started placing them in their correlating spots. Kaiden, she knew, didn’t take long in the shower, so she needed to have everything set up and make it back to their room before he left the bathroom. At first, she’d considered just placing the clues before he got home. But she knew how observant her husband was—the last thing she wanted was to ruin the surprise.

Returning to their bedroom completely and utterly out of breath, Alex placed the first clue of her little scavenger hunt on their shared dresser, snatched the book she was currently reading off her bedside table and threw herself onto the bed. She was just getting comfortable as the shower shut off.

She smiled triumphantly to herself, burying her nose in the novel she held. The more inconspicuous she was, the better.

The door slid open and from the corner of her eye, she took in Kaiden’s muscled form. Droplets of water slid slowly down the plains of his chest and well-defined abs and Alex tried desperately not react to the way the towel around his hips hung low and tantalising.

“Nice view?” He teased, that insufferable smirk gracing his lips.

Alex blushed, but in a rare display of confidence, decided to play coy, giving him a once-over. “Hmm, I’ve seen better.”

“Oh?” Kaiden’s smirk grew and without warning, he let his towel drop and Alex’s mouth went dry. “Again,” she said, clearing her throat. “I’ve seen better.”

Realising how that sounded, she let out a squeak, hand flying to her face to land on the centre of her forehead. Her husband just laughed, knowing very well that Alex wouldn’t ever cheat on him. They had a relationship forged on trust and companionship, she’d given her virginity to him all those years ago and hadn’t been with anyone else since.

Kaiden threw on a pair of boxers, tracksuit pants and a T-Shirt when he finally noticed the little folded piece of paper on the dresser. He eyed it curiously, cocking his head to the side.

“What’s this?” He asked.

“That would be your anniversary present.” She smiled, the perfect display of nonchalance, when really, her gut was tightening with nerves. Her gift, or rather what he would discover at the end, was anything but nonchalant.

He opened up the little slip of paper. “ _Find the clue in a place where water cannot stay liquid_ ,” he read aloud. “A scavenger hunt?”

She nodded, suddenly feeling shy. Would he think this was stupid? Obviously, he’d be happy by the end, but would he think this was cheesy and weird?

“Okay.” He laughed, but not unkindly. He was intrigued. “Well, I’ll give you my present first, and then I guess I’m going on a scavenger hunt.”

Kaiden opened the duffle bag he’d taken with him and pulled out a flat rectangular box that was about the size of his hand. Alex scooted to the edge of the bed and he sat down beside her. She took the box from his hands carefully.

Alex gasped quietly when she opened it, eyes stinging with tears as she beheld the exquisite locket within. It was silver in the shape of a four-pointed star. Embedded in its centre was a little purple gem, sparkling in the light of dusk that flowed through the window.

She pried the metal open softly and gasped again in wonder as each side of the open locket projected a small hologram. They were no bigger than the palm of her hand, but Alex could make out which still-life memories they were. On the left was her and Kaiden on their wedding day, him with his arm around her waist, lips pressed into the crown braid atop her head, and Alex, her smile shining as bright as the sun, in the gorgeous white wedding dress with the lace bodice she'd had customised. On the right side of the locket was from their beach holiday a couple of months ago, Kaiden was in board shorts, piggybacking Alex, their sunglasses sitting on both their heads, laughing.

Alex was openly crying now as she stared at the holograms.

“I thought we could change the one on the right every year before our anniversary.”

Alex nodded, rendered speechless by this beautiful gift. It was simple yet meant so much. “Kaiden… I don’t know what to say.” She smiled up at him, placing her free hand against his cheek. “It’s beautiful, thank you.”

Kaiden kissed her sweetly, and more tears rolled down her cheeks, because she knew next year, that new memory wouldn’t contain only them but… another someone. Her stomach seemed to flutter.

When they broke the kiss, he took the locket from her hand, shutting it softly. His index finger twirled, motioning for her to turn around. She obeyed and felt an undeniable sense of _rightness_ as the weight of the necklace rested against her chest.

Kaiden pressed a kiss to the nape of her neck, tugging her around and into his arms. She fell willingly, little sobs escaping her lips. Distantly, she knew she normally wouldn’t get this emotional over a gift, but what could she say?

“Good tears?” He whispered against her scalp.

“Very good,” she sniffed. One deep breath, and then another. “Ready for my gift?”

“Definitely.”

<><><>

Of all the things Kaiden had expected to receive for their two-year wedding anniversary, an elaborate scavenger hunt was not one of them. Yet here he was, making his way to find this next clue. He stepped into their kitchen and his wife watched on, bouncing from one foot to the other. In their oven laid a little white card, unlike the previous small slips of writing on paper, this was more put together; it was more pristine—the final clue, then.

He picked it up between his thumb and forefinger, his heart beginning to pound for reasons he couldn’t quite decipher. Flipping it open, the little card read:

_You make me nauseous…_

_Or is it your baby I’m carrying?_

_Either way, I want to spew_

_and it’s your fault._

He blinked once, then twice; reading the note over and over, struck absolutely speechless. His heart was hammering against his chest, threatening to break through altogether.

“Happy wedding anniversary, Kaid… from both of us.” 

He spun to face his beaming wife, hands shaking as the little card fluttered to the floor. His eyes darting to where her hands rested on her belly that had yet to show. Their eyes met and he could see the silver lining hers, her smile shining so bright. “You’re pregnant?” He whispered.

She nodded and sobbed, a quiet joyous sob. Kaiden had her in his arms in an instant, his grin rivalling her own as he laughed. Tears threatened to fall from his own eyes, and he let them, let the tears of unadulterated happiness tumble down his cheeks. Another laugh burst from his chest as the full force of the realization hit him. “I’m gonna be a dad!” He all but screamed, as he lifted Alex by the hips and spun her round in the air. She squealed and gripped his shoulders tightly.

As her feet met the ground again, his lips crashed into hers, pouring endless amounts of love and adoration into the kiss. It was slow and deep and passionate and as his tongue grazed her bottom lip in question, Alex opened willingly while her hands tangled in his hair.

He was going to be a dad. He was going to have a child— _they_ were going to have a baby. A family.

Alex pushed herself up to sit on the marble island bench, their lips still locked. Kaiden followed, stepping between her legs that parted for him. His hands travelled up her thighs, around to the curve of her ass, up her back and ended framing her tear-stained face. As they broke apart to breathe with their foreheads resting together, his thumbs brushed away her tears gently. Alex mirrored the gesture on his cheeks.

“How far along?” He breathed.

“Two months.” She smiled, “I found out last week.”

“The day I left…” Realisation was a slap to the face.

“Morning sickness,” Alex confirmed, laughing.

He kissed her again, softly, savouring the sweet taste of her parted lips. Alex pulled him close until he was unable to tell where he ended, and she began. He pressed his lips against the juncture of her neck and shoulder again and again and again. “I’m going to be a dad.” He repeated in a whisper against her skin. Alex nodded. “We’re going to be parents—we’re having a _baby_.”

He couldn’t quite believe it. They’d only been trying for a few months, and here they were pregnant with only a few tries. Kaiden felt like the luckiest man in the world, to have this gift. To have this wonderful woman in front of him, carrying, protecting, loving their child. Even before he or she would be born, Kaiden knew they’d be loved unconditionally. And he knew that as soon as that little life was brought into this world, he and Alex and would make sure it was loved and cherished.

“I love you,” he breathed. “Alex, I love you so much. Both of you.” They looked down to where both of their hands were linked against her stomach, and they stayed like that. Staring, laughing, crying…

Loving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Send baby names plz, I'm totally gonna write more on Kaiden, Alex and their son or daughter *excited squeals*


End file.
